Air-compressor



(No Model.)

W. WANG.

AIR COMPRESSOR.

Patented Ap. 4,1882.

WITNESSES:

TTORNEY.

l VENTOR:

N. PETERS. Phommhogmpher. washngwn. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM WANG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,901, dated April 4, 1882.

Application filed December 7, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM WANG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county ot' Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Air-Compressors,whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following` specication and accompanying drawings, in which the figure is a view, partly side elevation and vertical section, of the air-compressor embodying my invention, which consists of an apparatus for compressing air by the action of two cylinders, into and from which air is alternately admitted and discharged, the discharge being effected by the admission of water alternately to said cylinders. The discharge-water from the cylinders is employed to throw the piston of the supply-cylinder in opposite directions, so as to shift the valve, whereby when one cylinder is being emptied the other cylinder will be replenished.

Referring to the drawing, which represents afront elevation, partlyin vertical section, of an air-com pressing machine embodying my in vention,Arepresents two upright cylinders, which are supported on a base, B.

C represents a horizontally-arranged piston-V cylinder, which is properly sustained within the base or from the plate a, which is either the bottom of the cylinders A or top of the base B, the piston-rod D having at each end a piston, E. The rod D is partly encircled by a sliding sleeve, D', and on the latter, between the pistons, is supported a sliding saddle, F, whose pendent legs F' are adapted to be engaged by dogs Gr, which project in opposite directions within the cylinder G, and are pivoted to the wall thereof below the' piston-rod, said dogs Gr being pressed upwardly by springs G', which are secured to the cylinder, and adapted to be depressed by the action of cone-shaped or tapering heads H, secured to the piston-rod on the inner sides of the pistons E.

Fitted loosely on the piston-rod, within the legs F' of the saddle, are -collars a', and bearing against the collars is a spring, J, which is coiled on the piston-rod, it being noticed that the sleeves D' project through the legs F' of the saddle and abut against the collars a'.

(No model.)

Fitted to the top of the saddle Fis a slid- 5o.

ing valve, K, which is provided with ports b, and between said valve and the top of the saddle is a seat-plate, L, having ports c at opposite ends, said plate being cast with the chest M, which is secured to the upper side of the cylinder C, and is formed with supplyports cl and exhaust-port e. The ends of the chest have ports f, which communicate with the ends of the. cylinder C, and with pipes N, which project upwardly into the cylinders A A through openings-ct" in the plate a, said openings being larger than the diameter of the pipes N, and communicating with the ports d d of the chest M.

On the upper end of each pipe N is a head, N', having a downwardly-opening valve, P, and an upwardly-opening valve, Q, the stem of the valve P carrying a lint, g, and having a spring, h, which bears against said nut g and the head N', whereby by means of the nut the tension of the spring may be adjusted, and the valve thus set to open at different degrees of press ure of the water admitted into the cylinders.

In the top of each cylinder A is a tube, R, having at its upper end an upwardly-opening valve, S, and below the same an upwardlyopening valve, T, said tube communicating with the cylinderA and with a pipe, S', whereby the air from theI cylinder A is directed through said tube R and pipe S' to a pipe, U, which leads to the place of service of said air.

To the stem of each valve- T is secured a float, V, the object of which is to close said valve when the Water in the cylinder attains a certain height, it being noticed that said valve T has two seats, s s', in the tube It.

W represents an air-supply tube, which is provided with a downwardly-closing valve, X, and has a duct, k, which opens into the atmosphere below said valve, and a duet, m, which opens into the cylinder A, and a chamber, a, in the tube W, above said valve X.

Y represents the water induction or inlet of the cylinder C, and Z the water-eduction or exhaust-discharge of the chest M.

The operation is as follows:'As the parts are shown the exhaust-discharge Z is in communicaton with the right-hand cylinder A,

and water of said cylinder is presumed to have escaped through the opening a, port d, port b, and port e, the pistons being thrown to the left to full extent. The fresh water that has entered the cylinder G now passes through the uncovered port c at the lett-hand of the seatplate L into the port I) of the valve K, and thus reaches the port d and opening a, and so enters theleft-hand cylinderAand fills it. The air which is forced from the cylinder A by the rising water lifts the valves T S and escapes through the pipes S U to the storage-tank' or place of servit c. When the water reaches the required height the float V rises and closes the valve T against its upper seat, s, and the backpressure of the air closesthe valve S. Some of the air in the cylinder A enters the duct m and reaches the chamber n, and so holds the valve X down on its seat, preventing escape of said air. When the desired pressure of air is obtained, determined by the pressure of water in the cylinder, said pressure is communicated to the valve P in the head N', the water reaching said valve through the enlarged duct in which the stem of said valve is fitted. The valve P is thus opened, and the water entering the pipe N reaches the port f, and so presses against the left-hand piston E and moves it to the right, the valve l) then closing. It will be sten that the saddle F is rigidly held by the left-hand dog G. Now the left-hand collar D is struck by the piston and begins to move with the piston, thus forcing the lefthand collar a toward the right-hand collar, thus compressing the spring J. When the conical head H reaches the dog G it depresses it, thus relieving the leg of the saddle F of the dog, and the saddle, under the impulse of said spring J, is thrown forcibly to the right, and by it motion is imparted to the slide-valve K. This covers the lefthand port c of the seat-plate L and causes the exhaust port e to be in communication with the lefthand ports b el and opening af, and consequently with the left-hand cylinder A. The water in the latter cylinder now escapes to the exhaust, and as the float V falls the valve T falls and the back-pressure of air in the pipe S closes the valve S, thus preventing the return of compressed air into the cylinder A. As the right-hand port c of the seat-plate L is now uncovered, the water in the cylinder G passes through said port c, and so begins to till the right-hand cylinder, the other operations then being repeated, it being noticed that when the pistons are reversed or moved to the right the right-hand dog G engages with the right-hand leg of the saddle F, so as to hold the same when the pistons move back to vthe left. Whatever water remains in the cylinder C, between the head thereof and the valve T is down on the bottom seat, air is permitted to enter the tube R through perforations in the base of said tube surrounding the valve-seat, or inthe tube above the valve, thus preventing any suddenupward action ot' the said valve or clattering ot' the same. `When the water Hows from one of the cylinders A the vacuum created in the cylinder, and consequently in the chamber n, lifts the valve X, and fresh air enters the duct 7c,`and so fills the cylinder.

The exhaust-port e is of greater area than the port c of the seat-plate L, thus causing discharge of the waste or spent water from one cylinder in a more rapid manner than the other cylinder is supplied with fresh water.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to compress air in two cylinders by the action of water in another cylinder. I do not claim this broadly; but in my apparatus the cylinder C has independent communication with each of the cylinders A A. Neither the water nor the air passes from one of these upright cylinders to the other; but the water in cylinder C acts on them directly and alternately, as described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl l. The water-supplying cylinder C and its piston-rod and pistons reciprocating longitudinally therein, in combination with chest M, which is formed with ports d d and exhaustport c, and the air-compressing cylinders A A, each ot' which has communication with one of said cylinders A A, said cylinders being pro-V vided with suitable valves to allow the air to be compressed within them by the inux of the water and afterward expelled thereby, substantially as set forth.

2. The water-supply cylinder C and water and air receiving cylinders A A, in combination with the pipes N, having valves substantially as described, the plate a, with openings c, and the chest M, whereby said cylinders A communicate both with said chest M and the ends of said supply-cylinder G,for the purpose set forth.

3. The valve K, seat-plate L, and chest M, in combination with the piston-rod with heads H, the saddle F, and dogs G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The piston-rod having at each end a pis ton and an encircling sleeve, in combination with the sliding saddle and valve, the loose collars, and the spring between them, the chest and the water and air receiving cylinders A A, and the watersupply cylinder C, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The water-supply cylinder C, and water and air receiving cylinders A A, in combination with the pipes N, each having an adjustable valve, P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The cylinder C and a cylinder, A, in combination with the pipe N, having an upwardly- IOO IOS

IIO

opening` valve, Q, and downwardly-opening inder, pistons, and piston-rod, the pipes N, valve P, and the chest: M, having a. port, f, provided with downwardly-opening valves P ro through which water passes from said pipe and upwardly-opening valves Q,substantia1ly to cylinder C, a port, d, through which Water as set forth.

5 passes to cylinder A, and n discharge-port, Z, WILLIAM WANG.

all substantially as set forth. Witnesses:

7. In combination with the air-compressing JOHN A. WIEDERSHEFM, cylinders A A and the Water-supplying cyl- A. P. GRANT. 

